The Heretic's Tragedy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B CDCEFBGBDB A H BIBIJKJKLMHK A BNBNLCLC O C K HPHPKQKQ O Q K BJBJBBBBK K BRBBSKS O K BTBTUHUH O H K VWVWOXYX O X O OBOBOZOZ O Z O VKVKOA2OA2 B A2 O B OBB2OWOO HOXKO OVI | A |
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PREADMONISHETH THE ABBOT DEODAET | B |
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The Lord we look to once for all | C |
Is the Lord we should look at all at once | D |
He knows not to vary saith Saint Paul | C |
Nor the shadow of turning for the nonce | E |
See him no other than as he is | F |
Give both the infinitudes their due | B |
Infinite mercy but I wis | G |
As infinite a justice too | B |
Organ plagal cadence | D |
As infinite a justice too | B |
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II | A |
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ONE SINGETH | H |
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John Master of the Temple of God | B |
Falling to sin the Unknown Sin | I |
What he bought of Emperor Aldabrod | B |
He sold it to Sultan Saladin | I |
Till caught by Pope Clement a buzzing there | J |
Hornet prince of the mad wasps' hive | K |
And clipt of his wings in Paris square | J |
They bring him now to be burned alive | K |
And wanteth there grace of lute or | L |
clavicithern ye shall say to confirm | M |
him who singeth | H |
We bring John now to be burned alive | K |
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III | A |
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In the midst is a goodly gallows built | B |
'Twixt fork and fork a stake is stuck | N |
But first they set divers tumbrils a tilt | B |
Make a trench all round with the city muck | N |
Inside they pile log upon log good store | L |
Faggots no few blocks great and small | C |
Reach a man's mid thigh no less no more | L |
For they mean he should roast in the sight of all | C |
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CHORUS | O |
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We mean he should roast in the sight of all | C |
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IV | K |
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Good sappy bavins that kindle forthwith | H |
Billets that blaze substantial and slow | P |
Pine stump split deftly dry as pith | H |
Larch heart that chars to a chalk white glow | P |
Then up they hoist me John in a chafe | K |
Sling him fast like a hog to scorch | Q |
Spit in his face then leap back safe | K |
Sing Laudes'' and bid clap to the torch | Q |
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CHORUS | O |
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Laus Deo who bids clap to the torch | Q |
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V | K |
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John of the Temple whose fame so bragged | B |
Is burning alive in Paris square | J |
How can he curse if his mouth is gagged | B |
Or wriggle his neck with a collar there | J |
Or heave his chest which a band goes round | B |
Or threat with his fist since his arms are spliced | B |
Or kick with his feet now his legs are bound | B |
Thinks John I will call upon Jesus Christ | B |
Here one crosseth himself | K |
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VI | K |
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Jesus Christ John had bought and sold | B |
Jesus Christ John had eaten and drunk | R |
To him the Flesh meant silver and gold | B |
Salv reverenti | B |
Now it was Saviour bountiful lamb | S |
I have roasted thee Turks though men roast me | K |
See thy servant the plight wherein I am | S |
Art thou a saviour Save thou me '' | - |
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CHORUS | O |
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'Tis John the mocker cries Save thou me '' | - |
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VII | K |
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Who maketh God's menace an idle word | B |
Saith it no more means what it proclaims | T |
Than a damsel's threat to her wanton bird | B |
For she too prattles of ugly names | T |
Saith he knoweth but one thing what he knows | U |
That God is good and the rest is breath | H |
Why else is the same styled Sharon's rose | U |
Once a rose ever a rose he saith | H |
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CHORUS | O |
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O John shall yet find a rose he saith | H |
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VIII | K |
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Alack there be roses and roses John | V |
Some honied of taste like your leman's tongue | W |
Some bitter for why roast gaily on | V |
Their tree struck root in devil's dung | W |
When Paul once reasoned of righteousness | O |
And of temperance and of judgment to come | X |
Good Felix trembled he could no less | Y |
John snickering crook'd his wicked thumb | X |
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CHORUS | O |
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What cometh to John of the wicked thumb | X |
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IX | O |
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Ha ha John plucketh now at his rose | O |
To rid himself of a sorrow at heart | B |
Lo petal on petal fierce rays unclose | O |
Anther on anther sharp spikes outstart | B |
And with blood for dew the bosom boils | O |
And a gust of sulphur is all its smell | Z |
And lo he is horribly in the toils | O |
Of a coal black giant flower of hell | Z |
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CHORUS | O |
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What maketh heaven That maketh hell | Z |
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X | O |
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So as John called now through the fire amain | V |
On the Name he had cursed with all his life | K |
To the Person he bought and sold again | V |
For the Face with his daily buffets rife | K |
Feature by feature It took its place | O |
And his voice like a mad dog's choking bark | A2 |
At the steady whole of the Judge's face | O |
Died Forth John's soul flared into the dark | A2 |
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SUBJOINETH THE ABBOT DEODAET | B |
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God help all poor souls lost in the dark | A2 |
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Fagots | O |
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A MIDDLE AGE INTERLUDE | B |
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ROSA MUNDI SEU FULCITE ME FLORIBUS | O |
A CONCEIT OF MASTER GYSBRECHT | B |
CANON REGULAR OF SAID JODOCUS BY THE BAR | B2 |
YPRES CITY CANTUQUE Virgilius | O |
AND HATH OFTEN BEEN SUNG | W |
AT HOCK TIDE AND FESTIVALES GAVISUS | O |
ERAM Jessides | O |
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It would seem to be a glimpse from the | H |
burning of Jacques du Bourg Mulay at Paris | O |
A D as distorted by the refraction from | X |
Flemish brain to brain during the course of | K |
a couple of centuries | O |
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Molay was Grand Master of the Templars | O |
when that order was suppressed in | V |
Robert Browning
(1)
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